mince

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

transitive v. To cut or chop into very small pieces.

transitive v. To subdivide (land, for example) into minute parts.

transitive v. To pronounce in an affected way, as with studied elegance and refinement.

transitive v. To moderate or restrain (words) for the sake of politeness and decorum; euphemize: Don't mince words: say what you mean.

intransitive v. To walk with very short steps or with exaggerated primness.

intransitive v. To speak in an affected way.

n. Finely chopped food, especially mincemeat.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

n. Finely chopped meat.

n. Finely chopped mixed fruit used in Christmas pies; mincemeat.

n. An affected (often dainty or short and precise) gait.

n. An affected manner, especially of speaking; an affectation.

v. To make less; make small.

v. To lessen; diminish; to diminish in speaking; speak of lightly or slightingly; minimise.

v. To effect mincingly.

v. To cut into very small pieces; to chop fine.

v. To suppress or weaken the force of; to extenuate; to palliate; to tell by degrees, instead of directly and frankly; to clip, as words or expressions; to utter half and keep back half of.

v. To affect; to pronounce affectedly or with an accent.

v. To walk with short steps; to walk in a prim, affected manner.

v. To act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in manner.

v. To diminish the force of.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

transitive v. To cut into very small pieces; to chop fine; to hash.

transitive v. To suppress or weaken the force of; to extenuate; to palliate; to tell by degrees, instead of directly and frankly; to clip, as words or expressions; to utter half and keep back half of.

transitive v. To affect; to make a parade of.

intransitive v. To walk with short steps; to walk in a prim, affected manner.

intransitive v. To act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in manner.

n. A short, precise step; an affected manner.

from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

To make less; make small; specifically, to cut or chop into very small pieces: as, to mince meat.

To lessen; diminish; especially, to diminish in speaking; speak of lightly or slightingly; minimize.

To utter primly: bring or show forth sparingly or in a half-spoken way; hence, to display with affected delicacy; use affectation in regard to: as, to mince one's words or a narrative; to mince the lapses of one's neighbors; a minced oath.

To effect mincingly.

To walk with short steps or with affected nicety; affect delicacy in manner.

Cromwell's Head Tavern, a building which is still standing on the north side of School Street, upon the site of No. 13, where Mrs. Harrington now deals out coffee and "mince" - pie to her customers, Beacon Hill was a collection of pastures, owned by thirteen proprietors, in lots containing from a half to twenty acres each.

When the game ended, with him invariably the winner, players and spectators alike repaired to a tent to gorge ourselves on barbe - cue, a delicious concoction of roasted pork and peppery sauce, assisted by melons and fruits, all washed down with glasses of toddy, punch and porter, followed by a rich dessert called mince pie.

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Comments

If felt strange to be going about the opening routine, just as if Lafayette were going to mince in any minute with a story about some party he'd been to, the way he had a few days before. -Charlaine Harris, Living Dead in Dallas

I'm trying to understand the connection between the definition of mince in phrases like minced oath and mince your words and its etymology "minūtiāre"-- to make smaller. Because every time I hear "I'm not one to mince my words", the first thing I picture is someone with a bunch of words on a chopping board and a cleaver.

Is the idea that a minced oath, in general, was not only euphemized, but also contracted, i.e. made smaller?

(..) Her father, faithful keeper, fed me well,but she came daily with my special bowlbarefoot into my cage (..)

Until today: an icy spectre, sheathedin silk, minced to my side on pointed feet.I ripped the scented veil from its unrealhead (..) A ghost has bones, and meat!Come soon, my love, my bride, and share this meal.